Triumph punches up its Tiger 1200 Rally Pro with a number of improvements that increase comfort, performance, and rideability over that of its predecessor. Significant weight-saving measures were taken to put it over 55 pounds lighter. Plus it comes with new ergonomics to go with the new suspension components. The Rally Pro also receives a dedicated 21/18 wheel size and cornering ABS to give safety and peace-of-mind a little extra boost.

2022 Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Pro Design

As far as the overall look, this new Tiger 1200 Rally Pro toes the company line and follows the established Tiger design philosophy that exudes off-road capability with an eye toward genuine globetrotting. All-new bodywork wraps up the package with equally-new colorways to further set the Rally Pro apart from its kin.

The factory struck a balance between function and drag at the front fender by cutting down the coverage, thus reducing the amount of air that hits it, which reduces speed-sapping turbulence. The foil-shaped fender uprights also contribute to same by shunting the slipstream outboard to prevent it from meeting the exhaust headers and engine, thus eliminating even more drag. It pushes the typical Tiger duckbill fairing complete with angry-bird headlights that now come with LED projectors for better two-way visibility at night, and LED DRLs for daytime safety.

Still, the icing on the lighting cake is the Adaptive Cornering Lights that automatically put the light pool where you are going for greater safety and peace of mind when riding at night, particularly in unfamiliar areas. The LED front turn signals are mounted high and tight, well out of harm's way. Let's just say if you find a way to knock them off, you probably have a lot more to worry about than a lost blinker.

Up top, a clear, well-vented windscreen protects both pilot and pillion, and comes with an adjuster that can be operated with one hand. The cheek areas of the fairing are reshaped to accommodate the new dual radiators and make for broad shoulders to protect the rider's legs by pulling them into the machine. As for your hamburger shovels, handguards come stock right along with heated handgrips for cold-weather rides. If you want the heated seat too, it's available for the Rally Pro as an optional accessory.

Around behind the glass, a new, massive 7-inch TFT screen handles the entirety of the instrumentation along with acting as a rider interface for the higher electronics. Plus, Triumph throws on its proprietary infotainment feature dubbed the “My Triumph Connectivity System” that adds turn-by-turn navigation support, lets you pipe in your favorite music, and enables mobile phone operation under way.

A short riser and short-rise handlebar combine to make for a comfortable hand position that encourages an upright riding posture and leaves room for a standing position to tackle the technical tasks.

Aluminum was the material of choice for the lightweight, 5.28-gallon fuel tank ahead of the adjustable seat height that spans from 34.44 inches up to 35.23 inches off the deck. You can take it down another 0.78 inches (20 mm) with the optional low seat from the accessories list. A lofted pillion pad is joined by a set of beefy J.C. handles and fold-up footpegs handles and fold-up footpegs to complete the passenger's goodies.

More LED wizardry out back keeps you visible coming and going, and the small mudguard combines with a plateholder and hugger to contain the fling from the rear hoop. Engine guards and a beefy belly pan add some protection for the bike's beating heart. Too bad the TPMS is optional at this trim level.

2022 Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Pro Chassis

Tubular-steel members and forged aluminum outriggers make up the main frame on the Tiger 1200 Rally Pro with an aluminum subframe out back and stressed-engine arrangement to complete the structure. Weight loss was a front-burner topic for the engineers, and it shows in the 11.9-pound weight loss in the frame. In spite of the fact that the swingarm is a full yoke this year, which replaces a single-side swingarm, it weighs in at a full 3 pounds lighter and still doubles as a housing for the shaft-type final drive and bevel-box assembly. Overall, the finished machine is 50.11 pounds lighter than its predecessor, and this makes for a more agile and dynamic ride.

Laced rims roll in a 21-inch diameter ahead of an 18-inch rim, lined with Metzeler Karoo Street hoops for dual-purpose riding. However, if you are a hardcore off-roader, then the optional Michelin Anakee Wild tires are more appropriate for your purpose.

The suspension sees the beginning of the real top-shelf goodies with Showa's 49 mm usd stems that boast an electronic semi-active damping system that provides automatic, demand-driven suspension tweaks. Same with the monoshock out back, but with automatic preload adjustment thrown into the mix. Both ends deliver 8.66 inches of suspension travel which is good enough for relatively rough terrain though it falls at the bottom of the off-road range.

Brembo supplies the brakes with new dual, four-bore M4.30 Stylema monobloc calipers that bite large 320 mm discs to slow the front wheel and a single-pot anchor and 282 mm disc out back. ABS is stock, and it benefits from data fed to it by the Inertial Measurement Unit to add a corner-sensitive component to the system for improved safety.

A Hill Hold feature makes a nice addition if you plan on riding in areas with lots of uppy-downy as it lets you safely take your right foot off the brake pedal and put it on the ground for stability during stops on a grade.

2022 Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Pro Drivetrain

The fandanglery continues well into the drivetrain on the Tiger 1200 Rally Pro with lean-sensitive traction control adding to the package and a six-pack of riding modes for quick personality changes on the fly.

As for the engine itself, Triumph calls it a T-Plane Triple. Its a liquid-cooled three-banger with DOHC actuation for the quartet of poppets over each cylinder to maximize the normally-aspirated engine's volumetric efficiency and help scavenge the waste gasses for clean fuel-air charges. The firing order is kinda' odd at 180-270-270 which gives it an uneven power-pulse delivery for greater tractability, especially on loose surfaces.

Compression is seriously hot at 13.2-to-1, so you can forget about feeding it fuel from the cheap pump unless you want to also add an octane booster. It does, however, contribute to the power increase this year. The 1,160 cc mill grinds out 147 horsepower at 9,000 rpm, 8 ponies more than last year, with 95 pound-feet of torque on tap at 7 grand, 5 pounds o' grunt more than before.

A slip-and-assist clutch couples engine power to the six-speed tranny to add yet another layer of protection for the integrity of the rear contact patch. Here we find the last of the go-fast gear with Triumph's Shift Assist that lets you to quickly and confidently bang your way both up and down the range with nary a touch of the clutch lever.

2022 Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Pro Price

Price and paint are linked with a trio of tints up for grabs. The Snowdonia White comes in at the bottom of the range with a $22,500 MSRP. Equally monochromatic, the Sapphire Black model fetches $22,700 in the middle with the Matte Khaki Green rolling for $22,825 suggested retail.

2022 Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Pro Competitors

No doubt about it, the Tiger 1200 Rally Pro pulls from the top shelf to put itself at the forefront of adventure-bike design, but it isn't alone, BMW hits the trails and roads with its own masterpiece with the R 1250 GS Adventure.

BMW R 1250 GS Adventure

Like a sister from another mister, the Beemer hits many of the same high notes as its British counterpart, from the duck-bill front appendage and engineered front fender, while out back, the hugger/mudguard/plateholder arrangement remains a constant across the board. Engine guards pair with a bash plate to protect the mill from terrain strikes on both models, same with the exposed frame members all around.

Beemer starts to diverge at the engine, which is a hybrid air/liquid-cooled boxer engine, or a flat/opposed twin if you prefer. The R 1250 GS Adventure packs 1,254 cc for a slight size advantage, but the power figures are a trade off with BMW reporting 136 horsepower and 105 pounds o' grunt against Triumph's 147/95, respectively.

Electronics are also similar, and are met almost point for point until we get to the suspension system, because Beemer treats the electronic/automatic suspension management as an option that'll set you back even more at the checkout if you just have to have it. BMW comes in just under the wire with a $20,345 sticker, but at this price point, I doubt a couple grand one way or the other will have much of an effect on the decision between the two.

Read our full review of the BMW R 1250 GS Adventure.

He Said

“Like a fine wine, Triumph's Tiger line continues to age quite nicely. And credit where it's due, the top-end adventure-bike bracket is well populated with plenty of competition, so its a battle of inches as each side tries to gain an advantage, however slim. If there's an immediate downside for me, it's all about vanity. The color palette is boring as all get-out, and could easily be spruced up by the factory.”

She Said

My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, “The new Tiger 1200 Rally Pro doesn't look big. In fact, that's one of the featured points that it has a nice compact design. It's on par with the Tiger 900 as far as size and weight, so if you wanted more than the 900, but you didn't want to go bigger, this may be your huckleberry. The new 21-inch front wheel greatly adds to the off-road chops, and don't lose sight of the fact that this has the lower-maintenance shaft drive. Compared to other shaft-drive ADV bikes, the new Tiger 1200 Rally Pro sets the bar higher as far as power-to-weight and off-road capabilities. This is a really nice ADV bike with a lot of off-road prowess.”

2022 Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Pro Specifications

Further Reading

Triumph

Read more Triumph news.